Self-supporting bust form



Feb. 15, 1955 J, M. BENNETT v SELF-SUPPORTING BUST FORM.

Filed July 12, 1951 @0144, M, 624M 1 w United States Patent SELF-SUPPORTHIG BUST FORM John M. Bennett, New York, N. Y.

Application July 12, 1951, Serial No. 236,302

9 Claims. (Cl. 2-42) This invention relates to self-supporting bust forms adapted to be worm without shoulder straps, capable of being applied directly to the individual breasts, and capable when so applied of lifting the breasts and shaping them to a more pointed contour without the need of extraneous support.

It is an important object to provide a novel, substantially unyielding bust form which is in the shape of a coronet, adapted to be applied to the bottom and sides of an individual breast, to be sustained directly by the flesh of the wearer, and in turn to lift and shape the breasts to the desired contour.

Another object is to provide a bust form or support of the kind referred to which further includes provision for the snapping into place of the rim portion of a wire rimmed fabric cup which is further designed to improve or correct the breast contour.

Still another object is to provide a wire rimmed fabric cup constructed for application to the coronet and shaped to support and lift the portion of the breast which protrudes through the coronet.

The invention includes a number of important features and characteristics for enabling a practical bust form or support of the kind referred to to be produced, to be conveniently applied, to be held dependably in place, and to perform its intended service with comfort to the wearer. These features and characteristics will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In the drawing forming part of this specification,

Figure 1 shows in elevation the upper portion of the body of a woman with two of the novel bust forms applied to her breasts;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view on a larger scale than Figure l, the section being taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 3 is a horizontal, fragmentary, sectional view taken upon the line 3-3 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is a rear perspective view of the coronet as seen from above;

Figure 5 is a rear perspective view of one of the wire rimmed fabric cups; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of the rim reinforcing and anchoring wires.

The novel bust form 1 of the present invention will ordinarily be independently applied to a single breast of the wearer, and will comprise a light and comparatively stiff coronet 2 and a light and comparatively flexible fabric cup 3 detachably secured thereto.

The coronet 2 constitutes the foundation or backbone of the form 1 and may be worn with or without the cup 3. The coronet is made of a thin, light, skeletonized resilient formation to be as light as possible consistent with the strength and the degree of rigidity which it is required to provide, and as open as possible in order not to exclude air from access to any substantial area of the body of the wearer. The coronet has about the density and stiffness of bone and is desirably made of a plastic material having the desired characteristics of strength, toughness, rigidity, lightness and freedom from damage by contact with perspiration. Illustrative materials which have been found suitable for the purpose are known commercially as Tenite No. 1, Special Flow, and Tenite No. 2, Special Flow.

In general contour the coronet is made with a round bottom and straight sides, which sides diverge slightly "ice from one another in an upward direction. The effect of the straight sides at the open end of the coronet is to cause the side portions of the breast to bulge into the cutouts and create a very snug and even all around fit. This is of primary importance because it enables the coronet to grip the bulging flesh snugly and evenly, thereby to obtain a secure purchase with the pressure suftficittently evenly and lightly distributed to avoid discom- The illustrative coronet, throughout most of its body, desirably has a depth from front to rear of a little less than an inch. The lateral wall is formed with a series of substantially rectangular openings 4 which are important for several reasons. The flesh bulges through the openings, interfitting with them and furnishing widely distributed support for the breast through the medium of such bulging portions. The cutouts lighten the coronet. The cutouts admit air directly to the bulging areas and help also to ventilate the coronet along its inner face.

Aslight inside angle beginning at the top of the coronet and widening to about /s" at the bottom, edge follows the contour of the breast and permits better fit and purchase. The angle referred to is illustrated at 56-7 in Figures 2 and 3.

An inside lip 8 extends completely around the inner edge of the coronet (except for being interrupted for about an inch or so at the middle of the bottom). The lip extends inward slightly toward the 'nipple. It fits silugly around the base of the breast to prevent forward s 1p.

Two pairs of prongs 9 extend toward one another for short distances from the upper forward edges of the coronet to help prevent forward and downward slipping.

A base supporting tongue 10, having a cutout 11 provided for lightness and ventilation and to admit the bulging flesh, extends rearwardly at the lower inner boundary of the coronet to engage in a crease generally found at the junction of the lower portion of the breast with the body. The tongue contributes materially to the supporting of the coronet from the body. The lip 8 keeps the inner boundary of the coronet continuously in contact with the body. The lip 8 derives support from the body and from the portion of the breast adjacent the body. The upper cutouts derive support from upper side portions of the breast, but the coronet itself lifts the breast from below to direct it upward and with the cup give it a more pointed contour.

Between adjacent cutouts 4, other than the two lower central cutouts, channels 12 are provided into which the flesh can bulge for effecting a more perfect and secure interfitting of the breasts with the coronet.

The upper cutouts 4 on each side are bounded at their upper, lower and rear edges by inturned walls which terminate substantially in a common plane. These walls form side boundaries of the channels 12 and of a channel which lies between them and the rear inturned lip 8.

Between the inner lip 8 and outer lip 13 a rearwardly facing groove 14 is'provided for receiving a rim wire 15 of one of the cups 3. The rim wire 15 corresponds generally in shape to the coronet, but is formed with outturned ends 16. The cup desirably comprises two pieces of fabric 18 and 20 which may be composed of satin or any other suitable cloth. The part 18 is united along a seam to the part 20. A marginal portion 21 of the part 20 is folded and stitched to provide a wide hem 22 having a passage through it in which the wire 15 may be inserted and retained.

The outturned ends 16 of the wire 15 are passed out through openings formed in the outer part 21 of the hem 22 and through openings 23 in the opposite end of the coronet near the upper extremities thereof. The wire serves to anchor the cup 3 by fitting in the groove 14, while the outturned ends 16 of the wire serve to anchor the cup and wire against shifting peripherally of the coronet.

I have described what I believe to be the best embodiments of my invention. I do not wish, however, to be confined to theembodiments shown, but what I desilre to cover by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended c aims.

I claim:

1. A self-supporting bust form comprising a light,

sides thereof, through which portions of the breast may protrude, and having an upwardly inclined, forwardly projecting part in said curved lower portion for shaping the breast to a more pointed contour, the angular relation of the sides being such that the coronet may secure its entire support from the engaged portion of the body and from the upper side portions of the breast adjacent the body.

2. A self-supporting bust form as set forth in claim 1 in which the coronet includes a rearwardly extending tongue engageable with the body directly beneath the breast to assist in supporting the coronet.

3. A self-supporting bust form as 'set forth in claim 1 in which the coronet also includes an inwardly directed base lip engageable with the base of the breast to prevent forward slipping.

4. A self-supporting bust form as set, forth in claim 1 inwhich the coronet also includes inwardly extending prongs at the forward boundary of its sides to bear against the breast and oppose forward and downward slipping.

5. A self-supporting bust form as set forth in claim 1 in which the cutouts have inturned margins, the coronet includes an inwardly directed base lip extending throughout the side portions of the coronet and engageable with the base of the breast to prevent forward slipping, said cutout margins coacting with one another and with the base lip to define boundaries of inwardly facing channels into which bulging portions of the breast may fit.

6. A self-supporting bust form as set forth in claim 1 in which the coronet includes an inwardly directed base lip engageable with the body at the base of the breast and an external lip cooperative therewith to define a rearwardly facing groove, and in combination therewith a wire rimmed snap-on cup having the rim wire thereof received and retained in sa1d groove, said coronet serving to support the cup from the coronet, and said cup extending over and covering the coronet and the major opening through the coronet.

7. A self-supporting bust form comprisin in combination, a light, rigid, skeletonized coronet shaped to extend around through at least so that it may engage the sides and lower portion of a breast and receive its entire support from the breast and the immediately adacent portion of the body; said coronet including a rearwardly facing external groove that extends along the sides and bottom of the coronet, and a separable cup having a rim wire corresponding in shape to said groove and resiliently locked in the groove, said cup being separably supported by the coronet and including a body portion of flexible fabric which covers the coronet and the major opening through the coronet.

8. A structure as set forth in claim 7 in which the rim wire is formed with outturned ends which are fitted through the coronet to secure the cup dependably in place.'

9. A breast covering and shaping cup, adapted to be worn with a rigid, breast engaging coronet having a rearwardly facing groove formed therein to extend around the bottom and sides of the breast; said cup including a portion formed of light flexible fabric adapted to impart a desired configuration to the breast and a resilient, snapon rim wire secured throughout substantially its entire length to a marginal part of the fabric portion of the cup, said wire having the shape of a coronet and constituting the sole attaching means for the cup.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

